Josephine Cox 3-Book Collection 1: Midnight, Blood Brothers, Songbird. Josephine Cox

a headlock and kissed him passionately on the mouth, he was taken completely by surprise – as were their fellow workers, who began shouting and clapping, ‘Woa! Looks like the party’s started.’

      Outside, hidden from sight, Molly saw them through the window, and misconstrued the whole thing.

      Turning away in anger, she did not see Jack desperately separating himself from Jan. When she looked up again, she saw how Jack had his hands on the other woman’s shoulders, and his head bent to her, as though in tenderness, when in truth Jack was telling Jan she’d had too much to drink and he thought it might be a good idea if he got a taxi to take her home.

      ‘Dance with me, Jack . . . please?’ Jan was not ready to leave.

      With a great deal of care, Jack got her to the other side of the room, where he sat her down, while he went away to phone for a taxi-cab. ‘Don’t you move!’ he said. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’

      ‘Promise?’ Reaching up, she caught hold of his hand and pressed it to her face. ‘Sorry, Jack. I’ve been a naughty girl. I expect the big boss will give me the sack now, won’t he?’

      ‘No, he won’t. This is a party, after all. But you’ve definitely had one too many, so just you wait there. I won’t be long, I promise.’

      Once he was out of sight, Jan waddled to the bar and got herself another gin and tonic, which she knocked back in one choking gulp. ‘I am not drunk!’ she announced to the bartender. ‘And I am not going home yet, because I want a dance with Jack!’

      The young bartender had been hired in order to leave everyone else free to enjoy themselves. He acknowledged Jan’s comments with a smile and a nod.

      ‘What’s your name?’ Hoisting her generous boobs onto the bar, she leaned towards him.

      ‘David.’

      ‘Well then, David – I don’t suppose you’d like to dance with me, would you?’

      Blushing a fiery shade of red, the young man wasn’t really sure how to deal with her. ‘No. I mean – I would like to dance, only I can’t, because I’m on duty.’

      In truth, the last thing he wanted was to be dragged round the floor by a drunken woman, especially as he wasn’t been being paid for tonight, was only doing this job as a favour for a friend, who was just starting up in the party-bar business. This was his first contract, but yesterday he took ill and couldn’t do it.

      ‘You little liar!’ Steadying herself against the receptionist desk, Jan shamelessly teased the young man. ‘You’re really nervous, aren’t you? Is that because I’ve got big boobs, or because you think I’m about to drag you away and ravage you?’

      Laughing, she slithered down the bar out of sight, then popped up again. ‘Don’t be such a party-pooper! Let yourself go!’ Catching hold of him by the collar, she yanked him across the counter, her face mingling with his. ‘Listen to me, David, my lovely. Like Jack Redmond said, this is a party, and everyone should be on the floor dancing.’

      ‘I can’t. I’m on duty.’ He had to stop himself from smiling at her comical antics, Please, can’t you find somebody else to dance with?’

      ‘Oh, I will!’ Casting him aside, she confided with pride, ‘D’you want to know my secret, David?’

      ‘If you like.’ Anything to just get rid of her, he thought.

      ‘I’ve made a decision. There might be some misery-guts who won’t like it, but that’s tough titty, mate! ’Cause when they do the announcement, I’m gonna stand up there and tell everyone what a wonderful man Jack is.’ She paused. ‘Except he won’t dance with me! And I don’t think that’s nice, do you?’

      ‘No. That’s a terrible thing.’

      ‘What would you call a man who refuses to dance with a woman?’

      ‘I’d call him a rotter.’

      At which she collapsed in fits of laughter. ‘You know what, David!’ she screeched. ‘You just called yourself a rotter. What are you like?’

      She didn’t even notice as he made his getaway. Tomorrow, he fully intended to tell his friend that he would never do another staff party! Though when he glanced back to see Jan fawning over every man as she passed him, he actually laughed out loud, ‘Women!’

      Still giggling, Jan tottered towards the glass doors. She even did a little jig as she wound her wobbly way through the dancing couples. ‘Don’t mind me!’ she said, knocking them about like skittles. ‘A bit of fresh air, that’s what I need. Then I’ll be right as rain.’

      In the middle of the dance-floor, while the couples swirled about her, she paused a moment to rummage in her bag, looking for cigarettes and lighter. ‘Damn and bugger it, can’t find nothing in this bloody Tardis. Come out, you little sods!’

      Having located the said items, she continued on her unsteady course towards the glass doors, which led to the large area of decking and the garden below.

      The company had created this extravagant recreation area to impress the customers, and it had proved to be money well spent. Salesman–customer consultations could take place here, and it was a pleasant spot for the staff to have a sandwich and drink at lunchtime, on the rare occasions when the sun shone. Or even to have a crafty cigarette if there was no one using the facility for business purposes. And when there were organised functions such as a new car launch or business promotions, the decking area had proved to be invaluable.

      From her hiding-place behind the fencing, Molly watched as Jan threw open the doors, then positioned herself against the wooden railings as she shakily lit a cigarette. She took a long, lazy drag, held the smoke in her mouth for a moment, then blew it out in a perfect circle of smoke. ‘Hey . . . Wow! Look at that!’ Thrilled when the halo hovered before her face, she blew another, then another. Like a delighted child, she poked her finger into the centre of each and every smoke-ring. Laughing aloud, she blew more, faster and faster, until she was surrounded by a haze of smoke-rings. And as they shrunk into varying shapes, she was beside herself, falling about, breathless with laughter.

      A moment later, her laughter was cut short when Molly took hold of her by the shoulders and spun her round. ‘Think you’re really clever, don’t you?’

      Assuming the stranger had seen her wonderful smoke-rings. Jan bosted, ‘Yea! I bet you couldn’t make more than me.’

      Molly shook her by the shoulders. ‘Don’t you come the innocent with me! I saw you kissing Jack. You’d better keep your hands off him. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

      With the daylight fading and the booze having a delayed effect on her, Jan found it hard to focus. ‘Who the hell are you? What makes you think you can tell me what to do?’ She struggled to get loose, but Molly had her in a tight grip.

      ‘Did you hear what I said, you silly bitch? Leave my man alone!’

      ‘If you mean Jack, he’s not your man . . .’ She stared Molly up and down. ‘Ah, yes! I know who you are now. You’re the big-mouth troublemaker who embarrassed him in front of everybody.’ In the face of trouble, she was beginning to sober up, though she still felt sick. ‘You’d best face it, lady. You and Jack are finished . . . for good!

      ‘Shut your stupid mouth! You’re wrong – there’s no way we’re finished.’

      ‘What?’ Jan could give as good as she got. ‘After what you did the other day, I shouldn’t think he ever wants to set eyes on you again. Jack is done with you. And if I fancy my chances with him, it’s none of your damned business.’

      Molly gave her a shove. ‘I’m telling you for the last time. Back off!’

      ‘Says who? I don’t take kindly to warnings, and besides, this is a private party. You’ve got no right to be here. Bugger off, before I call security!’ With a stomach full of booze and a head that felt three times its size, Jan